Feed the Fox
by Ryth76
Summary: The first time Naruto sees Gaara after defeating him is in the hospital... and the terrifying sand ninja wants to feed him. One-shot friendship fic.


**A/N: Finally! A story of a pair (friendship or otherwise) I actually like! This can be seen as either the start of a beautiful friendship or mild one-sided GaaNaru. Whatever makes you happy :)  
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Feed the Fox  
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A loud growl penetrated the unconscious boy's senses. The Kyuubi? No, it was… closer some how… very close…

Naruto opened his eyes. His stomach growled again. He looked at his bandaged hands and sighed. Not a medic in sight and still dark outside. It would be a while before breakfast. He looked up at the florescent light set on dim above him. If only Sakura was there to feed him….

"Naruto…" A voice from Naruto's nightmares murmured beside him.

Naruto screeched like a banshee with a jump, flailing his arms like wings. Black-ringed eyes blinked at him, pale orbs gazing at him as though prying into his mind. He calmed himself down and growled out, "Gaara! What do you want?"

He hadn't seen the other Jinchuuriki since their fight a few months ago. Gaara looked healthier some how and had updated his outfit. His eyes were still cold, but somehow didn't have the same effect they once had. No doubt because he was no longer quite the terrifying foe he had been now that he had been defeated. Was it him, or was Gaara's hair a little longer, too?

Gaara held up a bowl and a pair of chopsticks. "I could hear your stomach growling all the way from Suna."

Naruto raised a suspicious eyebrow. Gaara informed him, "Don't tell me you didn't notice. I have been in Konoha for a while now."

Uh-oh, did he make Gaara mad now? Without his hands, there wouldn't be much of a fight this time… Gaara held out a piece of meat. "Eat this."

"Is it safe?"

Gaara shifted slightly. "It's fine." He took a bite. "Don't worry. I'm a good guy now."

Naruto twitched. "What is this? A manga?"

The redhead asked flatly, "Do you want something to eat or don't you?"

"Why do you want to feed me? This isn't some sort of Sunagakure plot to destroy Konoha, is it?" Naruto asked.

Cool as ever, Gaara explained Suna had been used and the Kazekage was killed by Orochimaru. Naruto jolted. The guy Gaara talked about before was dead? No wonder he didn't look so bad. Gaara's voice cut his inner monologue short. "I have a debt to you. I intend to repay you."

Naruto smirked at the short redhead. "I never took you to be the sort of person who takes debts seriously."

Gaara started, cheeks red in the dim light. "Who said you knew me?"

Naruto observed the other boy. He never believed Gaara could resemble Hinata. A bundle of flustered nerves. "Oh, right."

_I guess it'll be okay…_ He chomped down on the sliver of meat and chewed it. It was cold, but juicy and… "Delicious! Where did you get this?"

Gaara shrugged. "I found it in another house in a fridge. I've been watching you, so when I realized you were hungry I decided to feed you."

"You stole it?"

"How else could I tell it wasn't poisoned?" Gaara held out another piece.

Naruto muttered, "You really have trust issues, don't you?" He took a bite.

Gaara didn't answer. He fed the blond boy in silence for a moment. He noted softly, "You are my first…"

Naruto's experience with firsts was very limited, but he knew that the first of anything was special. However, he couldn't forget that this was Gaara. Most likely, Gaara was saying 'you were my first victim to escape me… but not again!'

Gaara suddenly blurted. "I want to be friends."

"Heh," Naruto turned his head away with an odd smile. "Am I that great a guy that even you want to be around me?"

He didn't expect Gaara to nod. The redhead grunted in agreement and gave one nod. "I'm working hard to change my ways and help others. Someday, maybe I'll even be like you."

Naruto's ears burned. "G-Gaara, you're making me blush!"

Gaara glanced at the bowl in his hand. "You ate it all."

"Wasn't I supposed to?"

The sand's Jinchuuriki set the bowl on the table with the chopsticks. "Get some rest."

Sunlight streamed out the window. Naruto flashed a cheerful grin. A loud knock interrupted them. "Naruto-kun! Have you seen Gaara-kun?" Lee's energetic voice called.

Naruto twitched violently. It was very nearly a convulsion. "_Lee _is in on this?"

"Didn't you know? My siblings and I saved your team from certain death and hauled them home."

Naruto gaped at him. He found his voice as Gaara closed the door behind him to chat with Lee and shouted in pure shocked frustration, "Why doesn't anybody tell me these things?!"

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**A/N: Lol, Naruto! He's so out of it. This is actually more set in after the filler Rice Country arc than right after the end of the Sasuke Retrieval arc, thus Naruto's heavily bandaged hands**.


End file.
